1. Blowing Bubbles Buy bubble liquid from discount store or make your own by mixing two cups of water to two tablespoons of liquid soap for each group of children. Give each group a tin pan with bubble mixture. Do this activity indoors or out, but have plenty paper towels on hand for spills. Begin by asking children what's a bubble made of? What makes it float? Give each one a Styrofoam cup and a drinking straw. Demonstrate how to use a pencil to make a hole just large enough for the straw to be inserted into one side near the bottom. Have one child at a time place his or her cup mouth down into the soapy mixture until a film forms across the top. Slowly lift the cup from the pan and turn it right side up. Blow gently into straw to form bubbles. Discuss: bubble-blowing techniques, correlation between the amount of air and size of bubble and what happens when a bubble bursts.

2. Nature Walk Discuss how we can feel air in different situations (waving hands, turning on a fan etc.). How do we know it's there if we really can't see it? Pull out a mirror and breathe on it to show children how water droplets from breath have collected on the glass to "show" the air. Explain that while we can't see air, we can view its effect on other objects. Take children outside on a day when weather permits. Ask them to observe what evidence they see of the wind/air around them even though they can't see it. Have them jot down things that are being moved by the wind (leaves on trees, hair, skirts or dresses, grass, paper on the ground, dirt etc.). When you return to the classroom, discuss their observations and write a one-page essay or poem on the effects of wind.

3. Streamers in the Wind Children can cover an empty paper towel roll with construction paper or color or paint the cardboard tubing. Then cut three-feet long strips of crepe paper and give each child three strips. Staple streamers at both ends and in the middle of the cardboard tube. Thread about a foot of yarn or string through tubing and secure with a knot. Take children outside and have them hold the banner by the yarn/string and run, twirl and wave the banner. How does the wind effect the streamers?

4. Balancing Ball Act Give each child a bendy drinking straw. Styrofoam balls can be given out in small groups of 2 or 3 or individually. Have children bend straw so that collapsible end points upward at a 90 degree angle. With straws in their mouths, children gently place the styrofoam ball at the end of the straw and remove their hand as they begin to gently blow. Observe how the air travels through the bent straw and, depending on the force of the air and size of ball, can hold the ball in mid-air. Discuss the suspension of the ball in the air. How is it being held in place? Are there any other ways to achieve suspension of the ball? Let kids experiment on their own or in groups. How does varying the force of air on the ball effect it? Have them barely blow through the straw and then blow as hard as they can and compare results.

5. Blow Your Horn Have a toy horn or party noisemakers for every student. After they've had an opportunity to blow the horns and/or noisemakers, discuss what makes the sound (the air traveling through the horn or noisemaker). Then ask them if they can think of any way to blow the horn without putting their mouths on the noisemakers. Accept appropriate responses. Then hand out a balloon to each child. Give them another opportunity to answer the previous question. Now have them inflate their balloons. Holding the balloons so the air does not escape, insert the mouthpiece of a horn or noisemaker into balloon. What happens? (If necessary, squeeze balloon to force air through noisemaker).

6. Can Crusher Put a few drops of water into an empty soda can. Place can on burner until steam starts to escape. Remove hot can from heat source with tongs. Quickly invert can into container of ice water. The can collapses. Have children theorize why can collapses. Accept appropriate responses indicating critical thinking. Explain that when the can was heated and the steam started to rise, the air molecules were moving very quickly. When the hot can is plunged into cold water, the air molecules are cooled quickly and start to draw together, thereby crushing the can.

7. Egg-in-a-bottle Brain Teaser Strike a match and light a small piece of paper. Place burning paper in a jar and put the small end of egg on top of the mouth of the bottle. The fire heats up the air inside the bottle and the egg starts to "dance". Since the fire consumes the oxygen in the bottle, the air pressure outside the bottle is greater than the air pressure inside the bottle. The outside air pressure pushes the egg into the bottle. Ask children if they can think of a way to get the egg out of the bottle without breaking the bottle. You can heat the bottle and then turn it upside down or hold it upside down and blow into it. This increases the air pressure inside the bottle and forces the egg out. Demonstrate both.

Performance Assessment:

To assess children's knowledge of the subject matter, have each child select one activity done in class to demonstrate and explain before the class. In addition to doing the experiment, the student should be able to answer questions regarding the effects of air as well as how air occupies space and exerts force.